Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Toy Theatre Search Engine

Google recently started offering custom searches. You build it yourself based on what you want. I built one based on the major toy theatre websites I am aware of, and intend to evolve it as things change.

You will find the search engine at the bottom of the blog main page. I've been testing it and it seems to work pretty nicely. Could be a handy tool if you need information but can't remember exactly where you saw it; it's likely to be on one of the pages included in this search engine...

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Lullaby

A short film currently in competition on the SciFi Channel's Exposure website, Lullaby is a sweet, eclectic tale told with puppets, set to the tune of a Russian lullaby...and oh, yes...the cast are...mice. The entire production was created by a very talented man named Leonard Manevich.

Be sure and stick around for the credits - at the 'tail end', you'll hear the mice!

Saturday, October 21, 2006

Juvenile Drama on YouTube


Nigel & Philip over at the Toy Theatre group alerted the members today of toy theatre being featured on YouTube; I'll be keeping an eye out for more, especially since I have never seen a production.

Friday, October 20, 2006

Toy Theatre in Literature

...Out of this delight springs the toy-theatre,—there it is, with its familiar proscenium, and ladies in feathers, in the boxes!—and all its attendant occupation with paste and glue, and gum, and water colours, in the getting-up of The Miller and his Men, and Elizabeth, or the Exile of Siberia.

- From A Christmas Tree, by Charles Dickens

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

UCSD Paper Theatre Exhibition


I recently became aware of another event dedicated to the toy theatre. It is an exhibition held annually at the University of California San Diego's Library, part of their Arts Libraries Events.

I contacted them for more information, and received a reply from Scott Paulson, their Outreach Coordinator (a toy theatre enthusiast himself!), and this is what Scott shared...
We have an annual paper theatre festival here at the UCSD Arts Libraries (I'm a paper theatre enthusiast and I snuck this event into the Arts Libraries outreach programming). Associated with the festival is a big exhibit of paper theatres (it's actually my big collection of paper theatres) and at this festival we perform new & original paper theatre shows. It's usually in August, but we recently switched months...

Now we do our exhibit in Dec/Jan and the live performance day, this year is Wed. Dec 13 at lunchtime...(sometimes we have eight to twelve performance days---this year just one...).

We make the audience read parts and help with sound effects....we have a live band of toy instruments as the pit orchestra. It's a very popular event.
I bet it is, Scott! I'd love to attend, but since I cannot, I encourage those of you who may be reading this, if you're in the San Diego area between November 28 and January 30, be sure and check it out.